1
as in played
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flirted
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dawdled
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallied
Verb
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Biel, who played so well in 2025 Charlotte FC brought him back on permanent transfer in 2026, received a pass from Ashley Westwood on a set play and fired a shot into the back of the net.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026 -
The two teams played their Class 6A Division ll girls state championship basketball game at the Alamodome in San Antonio on March 7, 2026.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The boxwork investigation has already reshaped scientists’ understanding of how long water — and the possibility of life — may have lingered on Mars.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
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If water lingered longer than scientists thought, the conditions for microbial life may have persisted longer too.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There is a tantalizing notion to the idea of the Final Girl as the killer — the Scream series has flirted with Sidney behind the Ghostface mask, but never followed through.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Since then, Arsenal has flirted with a series of agonizing near misses, most notably pipped at the post by Manchester City in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League campaigns.—
Aleks Klosok,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
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Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Nevertheless, he's repeatedly toyed openly about the idea of running again in 2028.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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According to Wolpe, Billie toyed around with the placement of their bush on the terracotta planter in the shape of a woman in a sports bra and ponytail.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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The project was revived in 2019 with plans to launch production in 2022, but further challenges delayed progress.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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His sentencing was delayed as Khan sought to withdraw his no contest plea.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nearby, people and their dogs who had moved into the shelter for the duration of the war lounged on air mattresses, scrolling through their phones.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
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Just days after hard-launching her relationship with French filmmaker Romain Gavras, EmRata lounged in a plunging plush white robe while wearing nothing but some sparkling loud luxury accessories.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead, much of Iraq rose up to expel US ground forces, and the war dragged on for eight years.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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The snake had dragged him roughly 30 feet from where their wrestling match began.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallied. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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